And while those two officers were present to thwart those robberies, _no one was in Lord Ridge on Friday night when a gang of thieves used the cover of the cemetery to have their way with passersby. 27-year-old Abdul Kareem Theus and 23-year-old Windell Vernon are accused of being part of a gang of four men who committed a pair of graveyard robberies within an hour of each other.
The first victim was 59-year-old salesman Roy Peyrefitte. He says he was walking through the cemetery around 9 pm when four men armed with pistols and wearing stocking masks jumped him. Peyrefitte says the men forced him to lie face down and took $100 out of his pocket.
Less than an hour later, police say Theus joined Windell Vernon and company jumped 42-year-old plumber Glenford Tench. Tench says he was walking near the cemetery around 9:50 when he was accosted by four men wearing stocking masks and armed with pistols. He too was forced to lie down and the men stole his wallet containing $400 in cash, his driver's license, and his Social Security card. They also took his bicycle, cell phone, and the Nike tennis shoes off his feet.
Both Vernon and Theus were formally charged in Magistrate's Court today with robbery. Both pleaded not guilty. No bail was offered and they were remanded to custody until October 23rd. Windell Vernon was released from prison earlier this month after being held for last year's murder of off duty Police Constable Nedi Reymundo.
